In modem times, many teenagers have idols of their own who are always some stars on TV on the Internet, etc. These stars always think that a slimmer figure may be perfect for themselves. However, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their idols? Do famous stars really have the power to influence people especially teenagers?

    For the longest time, many parents blame (责备) teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the stars these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan or Mary Kate Ashley, They are definitely famous teen stars. However, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these stars to exercise and eat less.

    It is a fact that the media and especially famous teen stars can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and stars to endorse (宣传) products or to star in an up-and-coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, stars are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.

    Living in today's time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the stars, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It's good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what's in and what's out.

    I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”

    Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don't have names; in Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

    In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

    People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it's about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don't know.

    It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don't know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

    I have just arrived in a country where I don't know the language, where I have no family roots and where I find myself all alone. It may sound frightening. But let me tell you a little secret: it is not.

    When you travel abroad by yourself for whatever reason—exchange program, internship, volunteering, or simply as a tourist—a new and fascinating world will open up for you. A world you would have never been able to see if you had just stayed at home.

    People from a different country are not aliens. They are simply people like you who happened to be born in another region. They have pretty much the same wishes and worries as people from your own country.

    I know that you see a lot of news on TV saying terrible things people do all the time. Your family may have spent a great deal of time telling you not to trust strangers. However, when you travel alone you will realize that people are just as good as you. Everyone is just leading their lives, working, studying and having a good time with their friends. Most people will be happy to help you and get to know you.

    Maybe in the past when you would need months to travel from one place to another, traveling could be expensive. Nowadays, the world is just so connected that it is perfectly possible to find cheap flights, accommodation for all budgets and cheap and quality food.

    You will get lost, but it's fine! I can't even count how many times I didn't know where I was going or how to find the right direction. Everything looks great on Google maps, but sometimes your phone will die or your data will end. Just calm down. Go to a store or stop someone in the street and ask! Or simply walk around and be curious.

    Skiing has always been a big part of Kamikaze shiffrin's life. Her dad ski raced all through college and her mom raced and coached skiing. The Siffrins taught Mikaela and her brother, Taylor. To ski at a very young age. At two and a half years old, Mikaela made her first ski run down her driveway on plastic skis.

    Mikaela loved skiing. From ages 8 to11, she did hundreds of training runs on small hills to learn the skills of slalom skiing (障碍滑雪). When Mikaela was 11, she began to learn at the Burke Mountain Academy, a Vermont boarding school for skiers. She took classes, studied, and practiced her skiing. According to Burke Mountain Academy headmaster Kirk Dwyer, "What separated Mikaela from others was the degree of her commitment (投入) to be the best. Mikacla practiced more than anyone and believed in herself then and now." At age 14, Mikaela began her international career when she raced in the world championship for13 and 14 -year-olds. And she won!

    By the time she was17, she had already won her first World Cup race. "Living away from home four and five months at a time can be difficult" Mikaela says. "But it can also be exciting. I'm getting to see the world." When Mikaela began ski racing in Europe, her mother, Eileen, stayed with her. She worked as her high school teacher while they were on the road. "She has always been a super-hard worker," says Eileen.

    For Mikaela, working hard is a full-time job. Even her off-season is work time. "If you want something, just try your best," she says. At the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, 18-year-old Mikaela Siffrin became the youngest slalom skier ever to win an Olympic gold medal.

    Dear young poets, TIME For Kids has a challenge for you: Write a rhyming poem and enter it in the TFK Poetry Contest. It must be a poem that does not copy another poet's works.

    How to enter: This contest will begin 12 pm on April 14, 2019 and will end 12 pm on June 14, 2019. To enter online, visit timeforkids.com/2019poetrycontest and follow instructions to submit the following: (a) an original and previously unpublished poem; (b) the entrant's first name only and e-mail address; (c) a parent's e-mail address. Limit one entry per person or e-mail account.

    Judging: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following criteria: creativity and originality (50%), use of language and rhyme (25%) and appropriateness to contest theme (25%). Winners will be notified by e-mail during the month of July and must respond within five days.

    Eligibility (参赛资格)：Open to legal citizens of the United States who are primary school students and are 8 to 13 years old at time of entry.

    Prizes: Our judge will select four semifinalists, from whom one grand-prize winner and three finalists will be chosen. The one grand-prize winner will receive an online class visit from Kenn Nesbitt. All the semifinalists will receive a signed copy of Bigfoot Is Missing, which is worth about $ 275. The semifinalists' poems will be published at timeforkids.com.